Shadowdance
by Thedreamistrue
Summary: Amidst the milieu of political intrigue, deep seated hatred, and the ever growing threat of Arthas in the North, heroes and leaders rise and fall but shaky alliances may be formed in places least expected. Rated M for later chapters. Review and comment :
1. Beginnings

"You cannot seriously be considering this course of action, Varian!"

"While I respect your judgment Kallay, I must alone exercise my authority on this decision. You are a powerful mage, one of my strongest, but the fact of the matter is you are still young and inexperienced as a commander."

The King leaned forward across the table as his face took on a hard look, fierce eyes blazing brightly in the low light.

"You will obey me in this," he said in a voice that left no room for negotiation.

Kallay forced herself to look up from her clenched hands and meet his piercing gaze.

"Yes, your Majesty. As you command." she replied sadly.

As she got up to leave, Varian nodded abruptly and barked "Good. I'd hate to have to brand you traitor."

Robe crinkling, Kallay fled the keep with as much dignity as she could muster.

* * *

Zolaster sighed as he walked down the gloomy hall of the Royal Quarter. It was not the eery shadows from the wall sconces that bothered him, but rather the pervasive scent of rot and decay that floated on the air. Pulling his cloak closer around his broad shoulders Zolaster broke into a quick sprint that took him to enter a large ceilinged round room with a raised stone terrace in the center.

Upon reaching the terrace, Zolaster slowed his pace and walked up the narrow stone steps. Kneeling, he bowed his hooded head respectfully before the striking woman reclining in a throne made of humanoid skeletons.

"Ah, shadow walker you have come at last." she said, crossing her legs and sitting farther upright in her chair.

"My Lady, you have a mission for me." Zolaster asked softly. His eyes still cast downward.

"It is of upmost importance," Sylvanas answered "but it will take you deep within the confines of enemy territory."

"And as I am sure you understand, the Forsaken cannot be seen to have a role in this- you must be delicate."

Zolaster considered this for a minute.

"What is your will," he replied after the brief pause.

Sylvanas huffed angrily and rose fluidly. Pacing the length of the terrace she spat vehemently "Varian and his Stormwind dogs seek revenge on our people following recent events in Icecrown. Thrall, that useless tender-heart is too busy chasing human skirts in Dalaran to deal with the situation."

Zolaster looked up sharply.

"Surely the Alliance would not be so foolish as to strike here and now when the majority of their forces are tied up in Northrend," he said logically.

"We no longer can count on that!" Sylvanas said. Fury touching her dark features as she raged within, reminding Zolaster of a caged animal.

"Varian has long waiting to rid the Horde from the face of Azeroth. Damn Thrall and his pathetic attempts for unity. Now Varian has the perfect excuse to get the firepower of the other races behind him."

Looking down at Zolaster, Sylvanas said "Now shadow walker this is where I require your, unique talents. Stormwind has a new commander, a battlemage to be precise. My spies have not been able to determine her identity but they have been able to learn that she is a great threat to the Forsaken, specializing in the eradication of Undead."

"It seems that Varian intends for her to lead the strike against us."

Laughing slightly maniacally, Sylvanas reached within her tunic and produced a small scroll, stamped with the purple emblem of the Undercity. After handing it to Zolaster, she sank back onto her bony throne.

"We need not speak of this any more, you know what you must do" she said wearily, as if all her pervious energy had been instantly drained.

"Understood My Lady," Zolaster answered simply, tucking the small scroll against his chest.

Rising gracefully, he turned and walked down the narrow steps, long ears bouncing. Once reaching the long hallway, he sprinted out to the canals, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from the royal guards.

Pausing only the adjust the dark leather strap holding his sharp daggers to his hips, Zolaster allowed himself to think briefly about what he was about to do. Satisfied with the answer, Zolaster laughed softly. He mentally chided himself for even foolishly entertaining such thoughts. Afterall, it did not really matter- he left his soul behind a long time ago.


	2. Preparations

Zolaster hated traveling in the the miserable Duskwood weather. Not only was it misty but it was bucketing rain like little icy needles, slicing into his exposed skin.

'Its a good thing The Lady paid me well for this foul mission,' he thought grumpily.

It had taken him nearly a week to travel from Undercity, sometimes having to sneak through Alliance lands under his magic cloaking ability. Now that he was so near, Zolaster tried to put aside his irritation with the weather aside and focus on what he needed to do.

'The answer is simple. Whatever it takes,' he thought wryly.

Stopping his sleek, bony charger at the river between Duskwood and Elwynn Forest, Zolaster paused only to apply deadly poison to his exposed blades and adjust the trigger mechanism on his concealed ones. 'Being an Engineer had its advantages,' he mused. Though he would have rather not had to deal with the damn Goblins.

Preparations made, Zolaster urged his mount forward.

"Im coming for you, mage. "

* * *

The week passed in a flurry for Kallay. Her cozy home along the canals in Stormwind was littered with spellbooks, bits of herbs and parchment. As an Illustrious Grand Master Scribe, she was responsible for providing the Alliance with maps, scrolls, and magically imbued rune paper to enhance soldier's skills.

Despite the frantic routine of work and comfort of the city, Kallay felt ill at ease. At Varian's order, she had put forth the Call to Arms for the upcoming onslaught against the Horde. Although the decision was strongly in opposition to her better judgement, they were to leave tomorrow- the cogs were in motion and there was nothing to be done.

Falling back onto her dusty bed, Kallay idly flicked her fingertips as the lanterns lining her walls sparked into a warming glow. She stared for a moment at the familiar wood paneling above her head and contemplated her options. It had been an unexpected honor to be selected as the youngest Alliance Battlemage in recent history. Kallay remembered reveling in and embracing her task whole heartedly. An insightful and down to earth commander, her officers had grown to respect and obey her orders with utmost attention to detail- often going above and beyond the call of duty. But there were always internal feelings that something was not quite right.

In the recent events of the Wrathgate, while she mourned the loss of her people, Kallay felt she finally had a clearer understanding of her reservations. Unlike many of her race, Kallay did not hate the Forsaken for what they had done. She well understood the all consuming need and desperation to protect one's livelihood in the face of conflict. On the battlefield, she did not shy away from what needed to be done, no matter how repugnant a task it was.

'The difference,' she thought to herself, 'is that I am not a war mongerer.'

Recalling her discussion with the King a week ago, Kallay punched her bed in frustration. A massive cloud of dirt sprouted out of the mattress, betraying her negligence of housekeeping.

'He is just so STUBBORN!" she fumed out loud.

"This mission is wasting our energy against the least important enemy," Kallay said to her Worg pup that had come scampering into the room to investigate at the sounds of her fury.

Petting his rough, straggly head absentmindedly Kallay sighed. "I guess I should just get some sleep," she told him. "Tomorrow we have a long ride."

The Worg looked up at her and let out an excited 'yip'. Kallay got off the bed, the pup close at her heels. "I didn't say W-A-L-K you silly dog," Kallay said laughing at his antics. She always missed Talon when she was on deployment, but the barkeep at the Slaughtered Lamb was happy to keep him around until her return, or permanently if she did not.

Walking into the chaotic living room, Kallay did a final mental inventory for all of the things she had packed into saddlebags. Tentatively resolved to accept her duty and servitude to Varian's will, Kallay squared her shoulders and pulled the last strap tight.

However, laying in bed later that night, Kallay fell deeply asleep to the nagging itch that she had missed something vital.


	3. Wards

Hello Reader.

I hope you are enjoying the story thus far. I'd love to know what you think so please don't be shy! Leave me a comment or a message. Honesty appreciated. And I will do my part by trying to upload faster.

Sincerely,

Thedreamistrue

* * *

It was the delicate twinkle of a tiny bell infused with magical overtones that woke her. Forcing the sleep from her numbed brain, Kallay resisted the urge to bolt upright in bed and unleash the most power arcane blast she had in her arsenal to all corners of the room. Someone (or something) had broken the extensive net of wards Kallay had placed on her home when she first acquired it - there was going to be hell to pay. 'But first,' Kallay thought to herself, she was going to have some fun with the unwelcome guest.

Frustration from the previous week nearly threatened to overwhelm her control, but Kallay forced her hands into tight fists beneath the covers to keep her explosive emotions in check. While still pretending to sleep, Kallay sent an astral projection of her mind throughout the house to probe for any form of disturbance. Her initial scan finding nothing, Kallay twitched slightly as her spirit returned. Despite her prowess in the arcane arts, she still disliked the feeling of separating from her body, even for a short while.

Rolling over to face the door, she noticed Talon passed out and snoring rambunctiously on the rug.

"Some guard dog you are," Kallay said in a disgusted voice.

Curious, she glanced over to the gold hourglass floating beside her nightstand - the Call the Arms was scheduled to begin in a short three hours.

"Of all the nights for some dumb Warlock to pull a prank like this. " Kallay muttered dangerously as she stood to put on her robe. The demons enslaved by Warlocks had the unfortunate ability of being able to sift through space. There had been several "invasions" of privacy in Stormwind over the last few months, all ending in some nasty conflict and retribution among those involved.

Turning to Talon, Kallay said in a peeved voice "By all means Your Majesty, keep resting. I would not dare disturb your beauty sleep."

"Bastard," she added.

But she was no longer talking about Talon.

* * *

Sometime later, as she was methodically examining the net-like wards, Kallay gasped in shock as she came to her kitchen window. Someone had cut a neat pattern out of her spell weaving, aligning it perfectly with the geometry of the window. It looked almost as if it had been done with a blade of some sorts. Peering closer at the cut, Kallay noticed a different colour of fibre sealing the hole and making it look to the casual observer that nothing was wrong. Standing up slowly, Kallay reached for her wand only to find her weapon belt absent from her evening attire.

But before she had a chance to speak a summoning spell, she felt the press of a sharp blade against her exposed throat, and a sudden tension in her muscles that froze her in place like a statue.


	4. Discoveries

Hello readers! I apologize for the delay. Expect multiple updates over the next couple of days.

* * *

Slightly disoriented, Kallay mentally tried to break free of the binding. But whatever being had her in its grip, they had done their homework. She reached for a spell only to have it be sucked away and the sharp knife at her neck be pressed in more closely.

"Oh we can't have that" breathed a dark and sensual male voice, disturbingly close to her ear. A very warm arm began to snake its way around her midsection.

Shivering mentally, Kallay tried to assess her situation. It didn't look good. She now regretted not paying much attention to the "warlock incidents" as she had no idea what to expect.

All of a sudden, she felt the slightest bit of tension leave her muscles. It was all she needed. Blinking her eyes, there was a bright flash of violet light and she was half way across the room. Whirling in a fury, Kallay gathered purple fire around her clenched fists, prepared to hurl it without question at whatever she found.

Upon seeing nothing but the contents of her small abode, Kallay howled: "Show yourself you cowardly excuse for a Lock!"

Only rich, melodic laughter reached her ears from the corner of the kitchen.

Gritting her teeth in frustration Kallay fumed. Her whole body began to to radiate with an insane purple glow. With a quick extension of her fingers, arcane bolts hurled in all directions, igniting her wards and burning with a soundless fury.

"You picked a terrible night to come and play, Warlock. I have no patience for your pathetic ideas of a good time. " Kallay said, her voice ringed with overtones of immense power.

" And if I ever find out what class traitor taught you about mage wards I will personally see to it that he will never cast again!" she spat.

"Such rage," the disembodied voice intoned dryly, " would better be saved for the Horde you face in the morrow."

"The Horde? Why do you care? Your sole goal in life apparently is to harass and torment every helpless female in Stormwind." Kallay said fiercely.

"But I am not such, and thus your little games end today!"

With a roar, Kallay began to collapse part of her flaming wards, aiming to trap him where ever he stood. With an explosion, the ends of the fiery net fused, and began to shrink until there was nothing left but a tiny pinprick of light. Her mouth in a grim line, Kallay turned to go back to her bed.

"I guess thats that." she said as silence filled the small house.

Once she got to the entrance to her room, and stepped over Talon, still sprawled snoring on the rug, Kallay sighed wearily. All of her earlier grievances came rushing back and nearly threatened to overwhelm her.

"You may call me traitor, Varian" she said softly. "But the Horde is not the enemy. Never was, never will be. A greater evil even exists among our own people." Exhausted, Kallay fell into her bed and didn't even have the strength to cover herself.

* * *

Zolaster sat stunned, at his perch on top of the headboard. He reviewed what he had just heard the mage say in his head. How could it be? She seemed to be cut from the same cloth as Jaina Proudmoore, the human mage with whom Thrall had befriended following the destruction of the burning crusade.

'I wonder if the Dark Lady has been misinformed.' he thought. This mage also seemed far too young to be the newly appointed battlemage, and no one had said that the mage in question was female. Not to mention extremely attractive when she was channeling powers that made his mouth water with longing.

When he was certain she was asleep, Zolaster jumped down from his perch, landing like a cat at the base of the bed. The worg on the rug didn't stir. "What a terrible guard dog" he commented, simultaneously amused and relieved of the dog's passive nature.

The mage was sprawled on her back - legs spread wildly, and her nightshirt riding up towards her waist. Grinning naughtily, Zolaster paused for a moment to enjoy the view. Moving slowly and stealthily, Zolaster reached out a slender finger and began to drag it up one of the mage's legs. At the top of her thigh, Zolaster rolled his finger down until he brushed soft curls. In a fluid motion, he slid his finger up her slit to gently press her clit.

Moaning sensually in her sleep, the mage spread her legs a little wider to give him access.

"Mmmmm. Thats my good girl." Zolaster said in a sultry tone.

Drawing his hand back, Zolaster brought his finger to his mouth and licked it experimentally. Thrall had not been lying when he said that human females were delicious. After getting his finger nice and moist, he sheathed it deep within the mage. The noise she made went right to his groin. Pumping his finger in and out of her hot pussy, Zolaster added a second. He crooked his fingers and firmly stroked the region that all women regardless of race like.

Abruptly, he pulled his hand away. The mage whimpered in displeasure and began to squirm. Taking this as a perfect time to leave her in torment, Zolaster quickly sprinted out of the bedroom and towards the hole he had cut in the kitchen window.

Once he was back out in the cool night air, Zolaster knew he couldn't complete his assignment. Yes, he was attracted to her - more than he had been to anyone in over 50 years. But he was no stranger to destroying the things he loved. It was her comments about the Horde that gave him pause. If the Lady knew this, then why did she still order a potential ally on the inside killed?

Back at his camp, Zolaster quickly gathered his belongings and started his hearthstone ritual. He would have to really hustle to get to Dragonblight before morning. It was time to call in some favors.


End file.
